Archives for March 2016

Great news for lovers of our pureed foods: Nicer days and new fruits and vegetables to work with! Our produce truck was full this morning with the return of strawberries, pineapple, peas and carrots (lots of carrots). We had thought of an artichoke dish but no luck. It’s a fun time in the kitchen. it’s a colorful puree from this great produce.

Our new, large, dicer is working wonders with the chopped diet. We have cut in half our prep time to cube/quarter the vegetables. Funny to be excited about the addition of equipment.

New additions to the menu will continue with Strawberry Custard and Asparagus. We are hoping for the return of orange beets as well.

Opening a cup of Icelandic yogurt today, I noted there appeared to be pieces in the texture. As a description that the Puree texture is smooth, yogurt like and it is a recommended food, it got me to thinking, “What is the Puree texture?” I know there are descriptions out there and it is generally thought to be a smooth, consistent texture, but what about these small pieces? The flavor of the yogurt was New Orleans Coffee so I wanted to see if this could be a substitute flavor in the morning for those unable to enjoy their morning cup of coffee. It was delicious and in my opinion, none of those pieces were of any risk. In fact, I thought how nice it would be for the person eating puree to actually see some texture to enjoy.

I was on a panel last week with other professionals speaking about puree textured meals and dysphagia. The audience was primarily those in healthcare that had direct contact with the dysphagia patient and their family. As the discussion turned to “what exactly is the puree texture” I sat and listened to every imaginable definition of what this texture was. From “runny” to “completely smooth” to “able to sometimes drink with a straw.” I understand the definition may be broad, as is the swallowing ability of these adults, but I also hope that when we are discussing the puree meal for the adult, we are careful to be completely respectful of the adult that will, in the end, need to eat and rely on puree for their day to day nutrition. Regardless of texture, the enjoyment and dignity that mealtime has for many that will be on a puree, ground, or chopped menu for their lifetime should be all of our goals.

Blossom Foods puree texture has been described as smooth, thick, creamy, some rough texture. We understand that each food item requires different lengths to cook and blend to get the texture right. With that said, not each food item purees the same or into the same texture. We try for the smoothest texture possible, maintaining all the flavor and nutritional value possible. We hope our customer is able to enjoy their independence in choosing their meal and the actual meal itself.

We’d love to start a conversation. Please send us your thoughts on what a puree, ground or chopped meal should, or could be. We think it’s time to open a dialogue as the dyshagia population grows as does the population that prepare their meals.